Esa group?

sexy_eyes1978
sexy_eyes1978 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Hi everyone 
I'm on esa income related and my husband receives carers for looking after me. I have been on Esa for around 2 and half years, i also receive pip standard care and enhanced mobility. At the moment my payments i receive are £172 every fortnight and the carers of £63 a week. The only letters I can find are my original award which doesn't state what group in in. Now I don't attend interviews so I thought I am in the support group, however I am still asked to send them sick notes still,? So I'm very confused.
Am I on the correct payments? And what's the deal with the group situation. I have pyshical disabilities and also suffer from bipolar, personality disorder and severe anxiety, and the thought of calling them makes me super anxious as I don't like talking on the phone
Any help and advice will be so grateful thank you 

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 59,054 Championing
    Hi,

    That amount suggests it's Support Group rate. £114.85 couples rate, £36.75 for being in the Support Group and £23.55 couples Enhanced disability premium..per week. No fit/sick notes are needed when placed into either of the groups. Ring ESA tomorrow morning when they're open and why do you need to continue to send them when you're in the Support Group.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 59,054 Championing
    Actually, that rate is too much if your husband receives carers allowance for looking after you. Are you claiming as a couple? Carers allowance should be taken off the ESA amount and a carers premium is added. Carers allowance then pay your husband separately.

    Support Group couples should be £174.30 approx per week, minus the carers allowance of £64.30 per week, then added the carers premium of £36 per week, gives a total of £146 per week. Carers allowance then pay £64.30 per week.
  • sexy_eyes1978
    sexy_eyes1978 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    I think we claim as a couple how do I know? The letters I receive have just my name on. I can't work because of my disability and my husband can't work as he is my full time carer 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 59,054 Championing
    As you are a couple you should be claiming as a couple but you're the main claimant. Check your bank to see how much money you receive every fortnight and this will give you some idea. If you're not claiming as a couple then you should be.
  • sexy_eyes1978
    sexy_eyes1978 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    edited September 2018
    From esa we get around £172 per fortnight then we get around £63 in carers allowance per week. The only other benefit I get is child benefit and child tax credit for my 13yr old daughter and then I get PIP for me 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 59,054 Championing
    You need to ring ESA because that doesn't sound like you're in either of the groups, if this is the case then you'll need to ask them why you have yet been assessed. 2.5 years is a long time to still be on assessment rate. They open tomorrow morning at 8 am. Good luck.
  • sexy_eyes1978
    sexy_eyes1978 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    I'm scared to call in case they say I need to attend interviews or assessment,and the thought of that freaks me out. It's my anxiety I fear they may stop my payments or something sorry to sound like a weirdo but it makes me feel sick to ring them 
  • sexy_eyes1978
    sexy_eyes1978 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    Also my husband is worried that if I chase up what's going on that they will force him to look for work, he also has mental health issues and it really worries him is us also my full time carer 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 59,054 Championing
    He claims carers allowance for looking after you and they can't force him to look for work. I know you're worried about ringing them but being on the assessment rate for over 2 years is ridiculous. You should have been assessed by now. Have you ever been sent an ESA50 form to fill out and return, along with all of your evidence? Being on assessment rate, you're potentially missing out on a lot of money. If placed into a group, it will be backdated but still.... sending in fit/sick notes for this length of time also isn't good.
  • sexy_eyes1978
    sexy_eyes1978 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    Im not sure about the esa50 it has been a long time. I do remember going to a meeting at tge job centre arojnd the time of my original claim, but it was very brief from what i remember and apart from two letters when I was first award letter then a second letter with a reduced rate as my husband was then claiming carers allowance for me. I'm worried that if I call they will send me for a work capability interview and will loose my esa. I worry a lot and because if my mental health I always over catastrophize things and assume the worst out come 
  • sexy_eyes1978
    sexy_eyes1978 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    I just called and the agent told me I haven't been put in a group yet! So she said that someone would call me within the next 3 days. I also asked if I did need a wca could it be done at home because of my anxiety and they said I would need a letter from my gp to state I needed a home visit so hopefully that will be ok. 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 59,054 Championing
    Hi,
    I'm glad you called and i thought you weren't in a group yet. I'd advise you to make an appointment with your GP to get that letter. It needs to state the reasons why you can't attend one of their assessment centres.

    Here's the WRAG descriptors, 15 points are needed for this group.

    Support Group descriptors here. No points needed for this one, but you must satisfy at least one of them.

    Special circumstances, reg 29 and 35 here.

  • sexy_eyes1978
    sexy_eyes1978 Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    The lady said that I would unlikely get a home appointment. Due to the fact that even though I only leave the house for doctors and hospital appointments, if i can go to them then I would be able to attend the interview. 

Categories